DES MOINES, Iowa – Former President Donald Trump remains the clear front-runner in a closely watched poll of likely attendees at Iowa's Republican presidential caucus. There is.
Former ambassador and former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley came in second place, beating out Florida governor Ron DeSantis.
The final Des Moines Register/Mediacom/NBC News poll of likely Republican caucus participants was released Saturday night, two days before the Iowa caucuses begin the 2024 Republican presidential nominating calendar. It was announced on.
Opinion polls show Trump's approval rating at 48%, Haley at 20%, and DeSantis at 16%.
Vivek Ramaswamy, a billionaire biotech entrepreneur and first-time candidate, has been campaigning relentlessly across the Hawkeye State for the past few months and is polling at 8% support.
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Former Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump greets the audience after a Fox News town hall on Wednesday, January 10, 2024 in Des Moines, Iowa. (AP Photo/Carolyn Custer)
The new poll is the second consecutive poll showing Haley ahead of DeSantis in Iowa, following a Suffolk University poll released a few days ago. But her advantage over DeSantis in the new survey is well within sampling error.
And polls show that only 9% of Ms. Haley's supporters are very enthusiastic about her candidacy for the White House, far lower than the enthusiasm of supporters of Ms. Trump and Mr. DeSantis. Ta.
The survey, conducted by longtime pollster Ann Selzer, has a reputation for accuracy in past Republican presidential caucuses and is considered by many to be the gold standard for Iowa polls.
Trump is running for the White House for the third time and is the clear frontrunner in the race to carry the Republican standard.
Trump made history last year as the first former or current president to be indicted on criminal charges., But his four indictments, including charges of trying to overturn his 2020 presidential election loss, have only increased his support among Republican voters.
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Mr. DeSantis, who was convincingly re-elected to a second term as Florida governor 14 months ago, was once the clear alternative to President Trump in the Republican race for the White House. For several months, he held the number two spot behind the former president.
But after a series of campaign setbacks over the summer and fall, Mr. DeSantis saw his support in the polls decline.
Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis of Florida takes a selfie with supporters at a campaign trail in Ankeny, Iowa, on January 12, 2024. (Fox News – Paul Steinhauser)
Haley, who served as ambassador to the United Nations during the Trump administration, gained momentum in the fall with high ratings in debates. In recent weeks, she has trailed DeSantis in Iowa polls and national polls, coming in second place.
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Eight days after the Iowa caucuses, Ms. Haley surpassed Ms. DeSantis to move into second place in New Hampshire, where the first primary on the Republican nomination calendar and the battle for second place overall will be held, closing the gap with Mr. Trump. .
2024 Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley, former ambassador to the United Nations and former governor of South Carolina, speaks to a crowd at a campaign event in Ankeny, Iowa, on January 11, 2024. (FOX News/Paul Steinhauser) (Fox News – Paul Steinhauser)
DeSantis appears to be betting much of his presidential campaign on a strong showing in Iowa. He made a point of making stops in all 99 counties in the state, touting Iowa's strong grassroots advocacy organization. Experts classify Iowa as a “do-or-die” state for Florida's governor.
Last month, Mr. DeSantis predicted victory in multiple interviews, despite trailing Mr. Trump by double digits in Iowa polls.
“We're going to win Iowa. We're organized,” the governor declared in a Fox News Digital interview in Bettendorf, Iowa, a week before Christmas.
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But DeSantis appeared to be tempering expectations, telling Fox News multiple times in recent days that he was “going to do well” in Iowa.
A large Donald Trump 2024 sign outside the former Iowa president's campaign headquarters is covered in snow on January 13, 2024 in Urbandale, Iowa. (Fox News – Paul Steinhauser)
The study was released Saturday evening after a blizzard hit Iowa over the past two days, with frigid weather sending temperatures below freezing across the state.
The bitter cold is expected to continue into the working week, threatening to dampen turnout for Monday night's caucuses.
Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who did not campaign in Iowa this term as he focused his time and resources on New Hampshire, called off his campaign on Wednesday. His meager support was redistributed to other candidates still in the race.
The poll was conducted from January 7 to 12 and had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.7 percentage points.
Get the latest on the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more with Fox News Digital's Election Hub.
